Chris Miles isn’t your average engineer. Nor is he your average football player, ... Raised in a well-educated family, there was no doubt Miles would head to college.

Shunli Zhao received his M.S. in Mechanical and Energy Engineering in December 2013. Zhao is currently working at Panasonic North America - Rechargeable Battery Group. He’s a mechanical engineer who designs Li-ion battery packs for industrial demands, such as home-robot, power tools, medical devices, and electronic devices like cameras and speakers.

“The University of North Texas originally appealed to me because of their Mechanical and Energy Engineering program. This unique degree allowed me to learn both engineering fundamentals and specialized knowledge that sparked my interest. During my time at UNT, I took two classes on LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

“In 2007-08, when the recession struck, I was one of the lucky few who landed a good job immediately after obtaining an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. There was always a longing to expand my knowledge in my area of interest, which happened to be very specific: Energy Engineering from a Mechanical Engineering perspective with focus on environmental impacts due to energy generation.